Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdoms
| Company type | Video game |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 2007 |
| Founder | Ubisoft |
| Defunct | September 1, 2014 |
| Fate | Shut down |
Area served | Worldwide (including China, Taiwan, Korea) |
Key people | Samson Mow (producer for Asia) |
| Products | Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdoms |
| Owner | Ubisoft |
Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdoms (initially titled Heroes of Might and Magic Kingdoms) was a real-time strategy massively multiplayer online game created and released by Ubisoft, drawing inspiration from the Heroes of Might and Magic franchise. The project was revealed in 2007, underwent closed beta testing until 2009, debuted in France on 3 November 2009, and ultimately shut down on 1 September 2014.
Gameplay
As a browser-based real-time strategy MMO, Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdoms featured multiple distinct game worlds, each supporting a capped number of participants. Players managed a city situated within a region divided into 25 zones arranged in a 5x5 grid, with the city positioned centrally. Among these zones, four contained resource-producing mines, while the remainder consisted of open terrain. Each zone was protected by NPC armies that players had to overcome before accessing resources or erecting buildings.
Within cities, players could station hero units and military forces, supported by various buildings that facilitated hero recruitment, troop training, spell development, and other enhancements. Heroes commanded armies during combat, improved resource mines, constructed infrastructure in adjacent zones, and established new cities in different regions. By gaining experience points, heroes unlocked skills that boosted either their combat effectiveness or economic capabilities.
Players often banded together into alliances to secure mutual defense and to collect "Tears of Asha," a critical resource for achieving victory. Individual games typically spanned about six months; upon completion, players could begin new games with advantages reflecting their previous accomplishments.
The game's economy revolved around gathering gold, standard resources (such as ore and wood), and rare materials (including mercury, crystals, sulfur, and gems). Gold was essential for recruiting and maintaining heroes and troops as well as funding construction projects. Common resources were necessary for basic buildings, whereas rare resources were required for advanced structures and elite units. Since each city had only four mines, players often engaged in trading or raiding to fulfill resource needs. Founding cities in regions with diverse mines helped improve resource independence.
Players selected from five distinct factions—Haven, Academy, Necropolis, Inferno, and Sylvan—each offering unique combat proficiencies, magical talents, and specific rare resource demands for specialized buildings and units.
Asia
The development, launch, and operational management of Might and Magic: Heroes Kingdoms in China, Taiwan, and Korea were overseen by Samson Mow, producer at Ubisoft's Chengdu studio.
Subscription
Although advertised as free-to-play, non-subscribing users initially faced restrictions limiting them to three heroes and three towns for the first two months; thereafter they gained one additional hero and town per month. Subscribing monthly removed these caps and granted various in-game benefits. Additionally, players could purchase virtual items.
Closure
On 22 January 2014, the game's administrators announced that servers would be permanently shut down by the end of August 2014. The service officially ended on 1 September 2014, rendering the game inaccessible.